Store-service apparatus



. H. H. FULLER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Mar. 8, 1887 (No Model.)

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, ceptacle secured to the lower end of the said lowered into proximity to the cashier or sales- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM H. FULLER, OF MEADVILLE, PEJNSYLVANIA.

STORE-SERVIC E APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,207, dated March 8, 1887.

A Indication filed May 12, 1886.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, I-IIRAM H. FULLER, of Meadville, in the county of Crawford and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Store-Service Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the transmission of cash and parcels in stores from the salesmans counter to the cashiers desk and return, and belongs to that class of invention commonly known as store-service apparatus.

The invention is designed particularly to run upon a wireway stretched between the salesmans counter and the cashiers desk, the carrier carrying a pivoted arm,with a cash-rearm, the arm being adapted to assume a horizontal position during the time that it is on its way between the two points mentioned.

Heretofore various devices have been provided whereby the cash-receptacle could be man, the receptacle'in this class being connected to the upper part or body of the car by means of elastic straps, or straps wound upon spring-drums, or by a series of hinged strips which would open or close to raise or lower the receptacle. It has also been suggested to arrange a carrier with awire frame secured to the body projecting out beyond theline of the wheels, having an arm pivoted to the end of this projecting frame, said arm having a receptacle upon its free end. The objection to this form of carrier is that the point of connection between the spring-frame and the arm which carries the receptacle is beyond the plane of the wheels of the carrier, and all the weight of the receptacle and its contents is thus communicated to the carrier in such a manner as to cause one set of wheels of said carrier to bind, the supporting-frame acting as a lever with the first set of wheels as a fulcrum. It is well known that this would be a serious objection, as it is absolutely necessary that very little friction be created, in order to allow of the transmission of the carrier from one point to another, and undue friction is likely to retard or interrupt its continued movement from one end of the store to the other.

Many forms of buffers have heretofore been Serial No. 201,973. (No model.)

known, some carried upon the car and acting in connection with devices carried upon the wire; but all of these have been to a greater 5 or less degree inoperative and did not perfectly effect the desired result, and this part of my invention is a simple arrangement for checking the speed of the carrier as it nears the end of the way, and a positive stop at the end of the way, thus preventing all recoil.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the way between the cashiers desk and the salesmans counter with a carrier mounted thereon, the carrier being shown in side elevation with the receptacle in its'closed horizontal position. Fig. 2 represents the carrier in perspective with the receptacle in its lowered position open. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the carrier and a portion of the 0 In these drawings I have represented the way as composed of a horizontal wire stretched between the cashiers desk and the salesmans counter,its ends being fixed and the car adapted to be impelled from one end to the other by an impulse imparted to it by the hand of the cashier or salesman. stood, however, that any of the well-known devices for inclining the way at the cashiers desk or the salesmans counter may be used in order to cause the carrier to run from one end of the way to the other by gravity, as I do not 0 limit myself to a wireway arranged in a fixed horizontal position, as it will be obvious that the action of the carrier will be the same whether used on one kind of way or another.

The body of the carrier is shown at A, and 9 5 consists of a bar supporting at either end upon its upper side wheels or pulleys a a, which are adapted to run upon the way, the wire passing between the wheels and the body of the car proper, so that the car and the cash or parcel receptacle are suspended from the wheels below the plane of the wire, so that the weight of the parts gives steadiness to the action of the car.

Fig. 5 also represents a modification of 75 I wish it to be under- 8 From one end of the body, pivoted between two ears, 1 1, extends an arm, B, and upon the opposite end of this arm is pivoted a receptacle, O, the connection between the parts being made at one side only of the receptacle, for the purpose of freely admitting the hand. A spring, I), is secured to the under side of the body, and extends along to the end thereof through the opening between the ears 1 1, where it bears upon the upper end of the arm B, the end ofthespring being curved, as shown, for this purpose. A tension is thereby placed upon the said bar, and it is held in whatever position it is placed, whether in its horizontal or in its vertical position. Upon the inside of the ears, near the upper end thereof, in suitable bearings, a rod, 0, is held upon a suitable supporting-pin, the pivot of said rod thus being in a higher plane than the pivot of the arm B. The rod is about the same length as the arm B, and at its lower end is forked for connection with the projecting end of the arm which supports the receptacle, and to which it is secured. As the arm B and the rod 0 are of the same length and parallel, but pivoted at different points, both at their upper and lower extremities,their action in opening and closing, or, in other words, in changing from a vertical to a horizontal position, tends always to keep the receptacle in a horizontal position, so that there is no danger of the cash dropping out. It will be seen that in changing from a vertical to the horizontal position the arm draws up the re ceptacle, while the rod 0, being pivoted at its upper end above the pivot of the arm and at its lower end being secured to the upper end of the arm which supports the receptacle, has a pushing action against said arm, which, as the arm B rises, changes the position of the receptacle from one of right angles to the arm B to a position parallel therewith, so that when it has assumed a horizontal position the receptacle lies close against the under side of the said arm. I have provided a cover for the receptacle, in order to more fully protect the contents thereof, and this cover is shown at d. It is hinged to the receptacle, as shown, and its front end is connected to the lower end of the arm B by a wire, 6, so that when the receptacle is in its lowest position the cover is open; but when it rises to this horizontal position the pushing action of the small rod 0 closes the receptacle up against the cover, and during the transmission of the carrier from one position to the other on the way the receptacle is closed by the cover. Upon the lower end of the arm which supports the receptacle a loop is provided, and to this loop the ribbon or cord may be attached by which the salesman or cashier may readilylower the carrier to within reach.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of this receptacle and a slightly-modified arrangement of the parts. In this figure the body is shown at A; but instead of having the two parallel arms acting as described, I provide an arm, B, pivoted at one end upon a post in the under side of the body, the said arm having a forked end, between the forks of which is pivoted a cup, the bottom of said cup being weighted in order that it may always assume a vertical position to prevent the contents from falling out. A disk, Z), is secured at the opposite end of the body, so that when the arm is in its horizontal position the top of the cup will bear against the disk and the receptacle thus be closed. A small spring, 0, is secured to the body of the carrier and bears upon the end of the arm in a manner similar to that heretofore described, having the same actionnamely, to put a tension upon the arm B and keep it in the position in which it is placed. In this figure the receptacle has a ring at the bottom, to which the operating ribbon or cord may be attached. In the form of way shown it is desirable that the carrier be checked gradually before it reaches the end of the way, in order to prevent it from rebounding and thus getting beyond the reach of the salesman or cashier. To this end I have shown the end of the way as enlarged at f, this enlargement being practically coneshaped, increasing in size as it nears the end of the way. The way may be formed with this enlargement upon it, or the end of the way may be screwed into it, as desired. Upon the top of the body, between the two wheels, two spring-leaves, 9, one upon either side, are provided, the distance between them being sufficient to allow of the free passage of the wireway without contact therewith, but not sufficient to allow of their passage overthe enlarged part of the way, thus causing friction between the spring-leaves and the enlargement, which, '7

as it increases, tends to check the speed of the carrier. At the end of the way is secured a stop, held in place by ajam-nut, the stop be ing mounted upon the enlargement of the wire and having its face in direct line with the end of the body, so that after the speed of the carrier is checked by its passage over the enlarged part ofthe way the end of the body comes in contact with the stop, and no rebound is caused, as the spring-leaves bear closely against the enlarged part of the way.

In starting the carrier upon its return it will be obvious that only a slight shove is necessary to overcome the friction and startit on its way toward the other end.

In order that the carrier may travel freely, the wheels may have anti-friction balls within them bearing against the journal, and any suitable devices for supplying oil thereto may be used.

Instead of the -spring-leaves, as shown, I may, as in Fig. 4, have a spring, 9, project ing upward from the body and bearing upon the under side of the way, this being an obvious modification.

A still further modification of the buffer mechanism is represented in Fig. 5, in which form I employ devices, in combination with the spring friction-plate, whereby the said Spring may be positively withdrawn from frictional contact with the enlargement on the wire at the same time and by the same movement which is intended to impel the carrier along the way. The spring is shown at 9", being attached to thegbody of the car, as in the modification just referred to above. It is adapted to bear on the enlargement f, and at its free end is bent at right angles, so as to project ,downwardly,as at l. The body of the car is slightly lengthened in this form, and through this extension an opening is cut from top to bottom. \Vithin the opening, as shown at m, a bell-crank lever is pivoted, the longer arm of which extends downwardly,and is provided at its lower end with ahandle, n. The shorter arm of the said lever extends substantially horizontally and passes through a suitable opening formed in the end Z of the spring-plate g". It will be readily seen that to release the car it will be only necessary to push the handle a inthe direction of the arrow, thereby giving a downward movement to the shorter arm, and also to the spring 9 The same for ward movement of the handle a will give the impulse to the carrier, causing it to move along the way.

I am aware that it is not new to form a buffcr with an inclined face adapted to receive and deflect a spring-hook upon a carrier to a recess in the rear thereof, andI do not broadly claim such, my invention consisting in this particular of an enlargement upon the way in connection with springs carried upon the car, whereby the motion of the car is retarded by frictional contact. I

I am aware, also, that it is not new to construct a carrier mounted upon wheels having an arm fixed to the body thereof extending at right angles thereto,with a receptacle pivoted to the end of said arm, and I do not broadly claim such.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the way, of the carrier mounted thereon,consisting of a body portion mounted upon wheels, an arm pivoted directly to said body portion at one end beneath the wheel, and a receptacle carried upon the end thereof, substantiallyas described.-

2. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with the way, of the carrier mounted thereon, an arm pivoted directly to the body at one end beneath the wheel, a receptacle carried upon the end thereof, and a spring secured to the body and bearing upon the upper end of said arm, substantially as described.

3. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a way, a carrier mounted thereon, consisting of a body portion, an arm pivoted thereto at one end, a cash-receptacle pivoted upon the end of the arm, a spring bearing upon the upper end of said arm, and a rod arranged parallel to said arm and adapted to operate to keep the receptacle in a horizontal position at all times, substantially as described.

4. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of a way, the carrier mounted thereon, an arm pivoted at one end of said carrier, a receptacle pivoted to the opposite end of said arm, a rod extending parallel with said arm pivoted to an arm of the receptacle above the pivot of the arm B, anda hinged cover for said receptacle connected to the said arm, the parts being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

5. In a store-service apparatus, the combination of the way having an enlargement at one or both ends, a carrier mounted on the way, afriction-plate on said carrier formed with a plane bearingsurface adapted to come .in contact with the enlargement on the way-to stop the carrier, and a pivoted lever having an arm connected with the plate, whereby pressure on the handle to move the carrier will release said plate from the frictional contact with the enlargement, substantially as described.

6. In a cash and parcel carrier, and in combination, a receptacle and supportingarm therefor, the connection between the two parts being made at one side only, whereby free access of the hand is permitted to the interior thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IIIRAH H. FULLER. 

